Cutter for harvesters.



N. P. LITHANDER. CUTTER r03 HARVESTERS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1909.

Patented May 10, 1910.

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N. P. LITHANDER. CUTTER FOB. HARVESTERS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1909.

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//V VE/V TOR A TOR/V5) Patented May 10, 19101 NELSON 1?. LITHANDER, 0FHALLOCK, MINNESOTA.

CUTTER FOR HARVESIERS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 10, 1916.

Application filed May 28, 1909. Serial No. 499,024.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NnLsoN P. LITHAN DER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in Hallock, in the State of Minnesota, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Cutters for Harvesters, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to endless chain cutters for harvesters, in whichan endless chain, driven by suitable means, is armed with knives orcutting blades and the upper and lower links of the chain move in closeproximity to each other so that the blades thereof cooperate.

The object of the invention is to improve the construction of suchcutters and particularly to provide a cutter of the character referredto which can be applied readily to any mowing or other like machine ofordinary construction and in which the endless chain can be readilyreleased for the sharpening of the knives or for the substitution of anew knife for an old one, or for any other reason.

The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which it is illustrated, and in whichFigure 1 is a top view, partly broken away, of so much of the improvedcutter and the associated parts, as is necessary to enable the inventionto be understood. Fig. 2 is a view thereof in front elevation. Fig. 3 isa top view of a combination guard and supporting tooth, showing also aportion of the cutter bar. Fig. 4 is a view partly in elevation andpartly in section of the parts shown in Fig. 3, the chain and its bladesbeing also represented. Fig. 5 is a view showing the cutter bar andhousing in section with one of the uard teeth in elevation.

The lmproved cutter is so constructed that it can be readily applied toany ordinary mowing machine, reaper or harvester, in place of thecutters usually found thereon. It is also operated from the usualgearing of the mowing or other machine, a chain wheel a, shown in partin Fig. 2, being sub stituted for the usual crank disk which, in anordinary machine, drives the reciprocating knives. From this wheel a, achain 7) drives a chain wheel 0 on a short shaft 0 which is mounted in asuitable bearing cl and has at its other end a chain wheel 0 The latteris connected by a chain c with a chain wheel on a short shaft f which ismounted in a suitable bearing d. A chain tightener Z) is provided totake up slack in the chain Z) and the two bearings (Z and (Z areconnected by a slotted bar (Z forming a bracket which is adjustablysecured by bolts (F, to the frame of the machine, a portion of suchframe being indicated at (5*. Through the adjustability of the bar (Zwith the bearings d, d, slack in the cutter chain, hereinafterdescribed, may be taken up.

The shaft 7 has secured thereon a chain wheel 9 about which passes theendless cutter chain it, which may have any suitable construction. Asrepresented in the drawings every alternate link, as it, has formed withit a blade or knife h The outer bight of the cutter chain is carried bya suitable wheel h which is supported by the usual cutter bar 2', thelatter being connected to the frame of the machine in the usual manner,as by being secured to the frame member (Z*. The cutter bar 2' carriesthe lower member 7i} of a housing which supports and guides the chainbetween the wheels 9 and h being securely bolted to the cutter bar i.The upper member Z of the housing is so secured to the lower member 7;as to permit the chain to be freed readily whenever it is necessary tosharpen or renew the knives or to repair the chain. To this end it ishinged to the lower housing is, as at m, so that it can be turned backreadily to give access to the chain. Furthermore, idler rolls a aremounted on the upper housing Z, as by brackets n, so that when thehousing is turned back upon its hinges, the chain is slacked so as topermit it to be removed without difficulty.

For the purpose of holding the upper housing in proper position duringoperation, one or more, preferably one at each end and one in themiddle, of the guard teeth is or are made to serve also as supports tohold the two parts of the housing together. As shown clearly in Figs. 3and a, each guard tooth 0 is U-shaped, its lower member 0 being slottedat its rear end, as at 0 so as to permit it to he slipped upon a pin 0which projects from the underside of the housing is. The upper member 0*of the tooth-is forked or slotted, as at 0 to engage a lug m whichpreferably rises from the upper plate of the hinge m. The tooth thussupports the upper housing Z and holds the two housings 7c and Ztogether and holds them firmly in proper operative relation,the toothbeing held in engagement with the lug or hinged member m by a pin 0. henit is desired to release the chain, the pin 0 is withdrawn therebyreleasing the tooth 0 which is slipped ofl and leaves the housing Z freeto be turned back upon its hinges. As already stated, this movement ofthe upper housing slacks the chain and. permits it to be removed withoutdifiiculty. 1t therefore becomes possible to remove the chain for repairwithout requiring the withdrawal of any bolts, while at the same timethe outter is properly supported in operation.

I claim as my invention:

1. Cutter mechanism for harvesters, comprising a machine frame, abracket mounted adjustably on the frame, a shaft journaled in thebracket, a wheel carried by said shaft, a cutter bar connected with themachine frame, a carrying wheel mounted on the cutter bar, an endlesschain cutter carried by said wheels, a housing for the cutter mounted onthe cutter bar, a driving wheel mounted on the machine frame, and chaingearing, independent of the endless chain cutter and including a chaintightener, for transmitting motion from said drivin wheel to said shaft,whereby slack in the endless chain cutter is taken up by adjusting thebracket and the resulting slack in the chain gearing is taken up by thechain tightener.

2. Cutter mechanism for harvesters, comprising a machine frame, a cutterbar connected to the frame, a driving wheel supported by the frame, acarrying wheel at the outer end of the cutter bar, an endless chaincutter carried by said wheels, a housing for the chain mounted on thecutter bar and comprising a fixed lower member and a hinged uppermember, a removable support for holding the two members of the housingin operative position, and idler rolls carried by the hinged member ofthe housin and cooperating with the chain between said. wheels, whereby,when the hinged member of the housing is turned back to expose the chaincutter, the idler rolls are removed from the chain cut-ter and the chaincutter is slackened.

3. Cut-ter mechanism for harvesters, comprising a machine frame, acutter bar connected to the frame, a driving wheel supported by theframe, a carrying wheel at the outer end of the cutter bar, an endlesschain cutter carried by said wheels, a housing for the chain mounted onthe cutter bar and comprising a fixed lower member and a hinged uppermember, a projection on the underside of the lower member of thehousing, a projection on the upper side of the housing, a removableU-shaped support adapted to be slipped upon the housing to hold the twomembers in operative position, the lower member of the support beingslotted longitudinally to engage the projection on the under side of thehousing and the upper member of the support being slotted longitudinallyto engage the projection on the upper side of the housing, and a pin toengage the upper member of the support and the corresponding projectionto hold the support in position.

4. Cutter mechanism for harvesters, comprising a machine frame, a cutterbar connected to the frame, a driving wheel supported by the frame, acarrying wheel at the outer end of the cutter bar, an endless chaincutter carried by said wheels, a housing for the chain mounted on thecutter bar and comprising a fixed lower member and a hinged uppermember, a combined guard tooth and support straddling the two members ofthe housing to hold them in operative relation, and means to se 11116the combined guard tooth and support in position.

Cutter mechanism for harvesters, com- .n'ising a machine frame, a cutterbar connected to the frame, a driving wheel supported by the frame, a.carrying wheel at the outer end of the cutter bar, an endless chaincutter carried by said wheels, a housing for the chain mounted on thecutter bar and comprising a. fixed lower member and a hinged uppermember, a Ushaped support straddling the two members of the housing tohold them in operative position, and means to secure the support inposition.

6. Cutter mechanism for harvesters, com prising a machine frame, acutter bar connected to the frame, a driving wheel supported by theframe, a carrying wheel at the outer end of the cutter bar, an endlesschain cutter carried by said wheels, a housing for the chain mounted onthe cutter bar and comprising a fixed lower member and a hinged uppermember, a combined guard tooth and support straddling the two members ofthe housing to hold them in operative position and means to secure thesupport in position.

This specification signed and witnessed this 24Lth day of May, A. l).1909.

NELSON P. LITHANDER.

Signed in the presence of ELLA J. Knncnn, Ainsnosn L. GSnna.

